National Fisherman

Paul Molyneaux

Editor

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman.

Author Archive

Turning the former tuna boat Anela into a salmon tender turned out to be a much bigger undertaking than Kris Mullan expected. But for Mullan, who saw the boat launched in Tacoma in 1971, it’s been a labor of love. Angel Marine photo.

Boat of the Month: Anela

Karl Jordan’s salmon troller, the Samara waiting for the tide to refloat her. For two and a half years before 2025, Sitka had no local haulout and fisherman relied on the grid for whatever work they could do between the tides. Photo courtesy of Eric Jorda

In Sitka the tide provides an economical haul-out alternative

The SIMRAD SY60 is the second-generation SIMRAD omni sonar suited for 8” trunk installations. Photo courtesy of Simrad

More range and resolution with Simrad’s new SY60 omni sonar

Charting a course for electric boats on Maine’s coast

Gene Mafucci bought the Vivian in 1985 and made repairs and replaced the engine with help from his father, Gene, seen with the boat in front of their home on Tomales Bay, California. They used the tide to do things like paint the bottom. Photo courtesy of

At Marshall Boat Works, Gene Maffucci keeps his wooden boat afloat

The Honolulu-based tuna longliner, Pacific Sun, hauled out at Ventura Harbor Boatyard. “She was a little too big for another yard I sometimes use, so I brought her to Ventura for a shave and a haircut,” says owner Peter Webster.

Ventura Harbor Boatyard eyes growth for West Coast fleet

NGOM scallop fishing is known for big scallops and easy shucking. Most boats carry only one or at most two crew besides the captain. But the scallops are coming harder than usual in 2026, with some boats making as many as 15 tows to get their limit. Photo courtesy of Jay Fleming

Northern Gulf of Maine scallop payday

Johansen, the new owner of Jonesport Shipyard, has already more than doubled the boat storage capacity and upgraded the store and shop. He plans to serve the local fleet and attract boats from other nearby ports. Photo courtesy of Molyneaux

Keeping the Jonesport waterfront working

Ocean Integrity has a patent pending on its Aquatherm Disruptor. According to CEO Kieran Kelly, it consists of a huge net pulled through deep water to create upwelling and bring as much as one million tons of colder water per minute to the surface. Photo

Geo-engineering a healthy ocean

A NMFS observer, Steve Polak, measures and weighs an undersized haddock on a hook and line groundfish vessel out of Portsmouth, NH. Like all observers, Polak has undergone safety training, must wear a life vest, and can refuse a trip if he has safety conc

The training and safety of observers